All is not lost. Or is it?

My story about wedding rings a few weeks ago sparked a few comments about ‘lost precious things’. If you recall, I told the tale of my mum nearly losing a diamond ring on Christmas Day, the same day dad had given it to her. Luckily, we found it in the kitchen bin before someone had chance to empty it.

Lynette Brammah got in touch to tell me her story: “I stupidly put my precious gold Chanel earrings in before going into the pool in France when the girls were young. I stripped off, swam and when I got out realised one was missing. I was gutted. The girls looked for hours with their goggles on to find it in the pool but to no avail. Years later, I was packing for my holidays and there, in my denim shorts pocket, was the earring!”

Lynette hadn’t removed the earring but believes it had come out when she was pulling her T-shirt over her head and had miraculously found its way into her pocket. “I thought I’d kept the one on its own so got very excited when I found it, but then I couldn’t find the one I kept. They were never reunited.”

Clare Powell says: “When I got my second Borzoi, Iygor, I was walking him on York Racecourse when he was a puppy. Stupidly I wore my favourite silver earrings that were a present from my husband. Of course I lost one. But, for the next eight years, until Iygor died, I would look for that earring every morning on the racecourse as I walked him. Not surprisingly, I never found it! I have since bought two similar pairs, but they were never as good as the originals, and I barely wear them.”

Have you noticed that the word ‘stupidly’ is featured in both these stories? It is usually because we recognise that we have done something daft when such mishaps occur and therefore only have ourselves to blame. Although one could argue that an earring falling out is not necessarily the wearer’s fault.

Clare had a second story: “A friend of mine had a heavy gold elephant charm on a bangle…One day she was visiting a friend and she lost the elephant…she hunted the house, dug around in rubbish and backs of chairs and sofas, but did not find it. She was brokenhearted as it meant a lot to her. Then, about five years later, her friend was getting rid of her sofa, and as they turned it on its side to get it out of the house, out dropped the gold elephant. They were finally, happily, reunited.”

One of my most regretful losses was one of a pair of diamond earrings which I wore every day. I like to use my favourite stuff rather than keep it for best because I feel it is a shame to keep beautiful things hidden away. I accept that there is a risk that they could get lost or broken, but the hours of joy they bring to me make up for it.

When I first lost it, of course I looked high and low, retraced my steps and shook out all of my clothes, but more than ten years later, it still has not turned up. However, I cannot bring myself to get rid of its lone partner. How can anyone throw a diamond earring in the bin, even if they are never going to wear it again?

In fact I have a stash of single earrings languishing in my jewellery box, none of which match, so they will never get worn. But what can I do with them? I know people these days often have several piercings in their ears in which they wear single earrings, and there are certain jewellery websites that sell lone earrings, so I could perhaps try and find some that match. I have tried to find a partner for the only one I really care about, which is the diamond one, but have never found one that looks the same. Obviously I can’t sell it because it is for pierced ears and I have worn it. Therefore, it looks like it, and the rest of my singles collection, will sit for evermore, unworn and unappreciated.

Unless you have any bright ideas?

I’d love to hear from you about your opinions, memories and ideas for columns. Use the ‘Contact’ button on the top right of this page to get in touch. This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 26th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 24th July 2024.